Journey to the golden age of music: Collector revives the past with thousands of vinyl records and cassette tapes

Kırıkkale’s 68-year-old musician Erol Tombak stands out with his collection of 5,600 records and nearly 6,000 cassettes accumulated over 50 years. The rich archive he displays at his workplace offers music lovers a nostalgic journey through time.

Living in Kırıkkale, 68-year-old musician Erol Tombak treasures his collection of 5,600 records and close to 6,000 cassettes that he has gathered throughout his music career. Displayed at his workplace, this unique collection provides music enthusiasts with a journey back in time. Tombak not only showcases the records and cassettes to visitors at his workplace but also shares the stories and histories of these precious pieces. Erol Tombak’s record and cassette collection is not only a center of interest for music lovers but also for history and culture enthusiasts.

Also serving as the President of the Association of Artists, Musicians, and Poets, Erol Tombak continues his passion and dedication to music through the association’s activities. Expressing the value of his record and cassette collection, Erol Tombak stated in an interview with İHA that preserving this collection is not only important for himself but also for future generations.

“Records are my passion”

Describing how he cherishes his collection like his own child, Tombak said, “Visitors come, look at the records. They appreciate them. Some have shown great interest but I do not sell them. I protect them like my child. Records are my passion. We used to bring these records from wholesalers in Ankara. We would record on cassettes and sell them. When cassettes appeared, records died. We sold some, then cassettes were replaced by CDs. CDs were then replaced by USB drives, and USB drives were replaced by the internet. Music made on the internet cannot replace records,” he said.

Erol Tombak mentioned that his collection includes over 5,000 45 rpm records, 600 LPs, and 6,000 cassettes, and after retiring from his musical career, he consoles himself by playing the pieces he likes. Offering advice to the youth, Tombak said, “My advice to all young people is to dedicate themselves to music. Music is a beautiful thing, it brings joy within the community.”

“It’s like going back in time when you come here”

As part of a cultural trip organized by the Youth Center, young people had a visit full of history. Members of the Youth Center gathered at Tombak’s workplace in Kırıkkale. 20-year-old Nihat Can Köstekli expressed that when they visited Erol Tombak’s place, they felt like they had traveled back in time. Köstekli said, “When I came to Erol’s place, I felt like I had traveled back in time. We thank him for bringing 40-60 year old records to our day and letting us listen to them. There are very valuable artists and pieces. It’s like going back in time when you come here.”

“I enjoy seeing the pieces”

Another visitor engaged with music, Ekrem Koçlu (20), who plays guitar and piano, shared his feelings by saying, “I also took a step into music. Music liberates people, I enjoy it, it makes me feel happy. I enjoy seeing the works of our old cultural and regional artists. Important figures like Neşet Ertaş truly touch our hearts. May their places be heaven.”

Koçlu expressed how valuable music is to him and his admiration for the cultural heritage.